ERIC EJ1077978: Nurturing the Respectful Community through Practical Life

2015·1.5 MB·English

by  ERIC

n r c
urturinG the eSPectful ommunity
P l
throuGh ractical ife
by Joen Bettmann
Joen Bettmann’s depiction of practical life exercises as character-building
reveals how caring, careful, and independent work leads to higher self-
esteem, more concern for others, better understanding for academic learn-
ing, and a self-nurturing, respectful classroom community. Particular
aspects of movement and silence exercises bring out what Joen calls the
child’s “quiet soul,” the contemplative and reflective side of life that brings
peacefulness and a state of grace.
Who do we want our children to be when they are adults? If we
ask ourselves to make a list of the attributes, values, and qualities,
we have some glorious characteristics.
Do we hope that they are compassionate and caring individuals?
Are we hopeful that they will be cooperative and generous?
Would we wish for them to be open, receptive, and nonjudgmental?
Are we aware of how much easier life will be if they are flex-
ible, resourceful, and creative (two aspects of intelligence), and have
a sense of humor?
Joen Bettmann is a primary trainer, examiner, and consultant with the
Association Montessori Internationale and has over thirty years of Mon-
tessori experience. She has had training responsibilities at the Midwest
Montessori Institute in Milwaukee, WI, the Montessori Institute Northwest
in Portland, OR, and the Maria Montessori Training Organisation in
London. She was the director of training for the Ohio Montessori Training
Institute (Cleveland) and for a three-summer course in Sydney, Australia.
She has given five primary courses through the Montessori Institute of
Atlanta and is the director of training at the International Montessori
Training Institute in Atlanta.
Excerpted from a presentation given at the NAMTA conference titled The
Casa dei Bambini on the Threshold of the Twenty-First Century,
October 7-10, 1999, Arlington, VA. Reprinted from The NAMTA Journal
25,1 (Winter, 2000): 101-116.
Bettmann • Nurturing the Respectful Community through Practical Life 63
Might we want them to have courage and strength in the face
of difficulties?
Would we want them to be reflective and conscious of their
cosmic tasks?
Do we pray that their bodies are healthy and strong, able to
follow the speed and demands of the mind to act or refrain from
acting, with great dexterity and agility?
Look at the challenges present in our society today. We see
people who are hurting each other, dangerous, vicious, nasty, rude,
hostile, cruel, apathetic, indifferent, irresponsible, sloppy, careless,
alienated, isolated, infuriated, etc.
Perhaps the early years, the formative years in a nurturing Mon-
tessori environment, result in human beings that will contribute in
a different way
• because they care about themselves and others;
• because they have already experienced community;
• because attention to detail has allowed them to respect
and appreciate that which is fine and delicate;
• because they are familiar with the idea that time is not
for killing or wasting, that immediate gratification is
different than the ecstatic delight reached when one
has worked long and hard towards an end.
Our children have the right to experience the Casa as a sanctu-
ary where being in the present moment is the perfect blissful state,
without the pressures, anxieties, or distractions of tomorrow. Pro-
cess rather than product allows the child to work for the sake of
the intrinsic joy that one has when one’s focus is on the movement
and order of the activity, rather than the end result.
Let us look at a definition of practical life. Practical means use-
ful, functional, helping one to adapt and belong, logical. Life means
forever, from birth to death.
64 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 40, No. 1 • Winter 2015
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A quote from E. M. Standing may be worth reflecting upon:
The first thing to realize about these exercises of practi-
cal life is that their aim is not a practical one. Emphasis
should be laid not on the word “practical” but the word
life. Their aim … is to assist development.
The discerning visitor who observes the children at work
on these activities cannot fail to be impressed, as much by
the way they are doing them, as by what they are doing.
Their profound concentration, the serious joy with which
they carry out their work, the expenditure of energy out
of all proportion to the external end in view as revealed
in their unreasoning repetition … all these suggest that
the children are riveted to this sort of activity by some
strange, one might say occult, fascination. This in fact is
truly the case. Theirs is more than a conscious interest; their
whole demeanor reveals the fact that they are fulfilling a
biological need; and that it is the interest of life–Horme–
which is working in and through them as they carry out
these occupations. …
It is characteristic of all children at this stage of develop-
ment that they derive immense satisfaction from any use
of their voluntary muscles, that is of “the flesh.” Here, as
always, Montessori’s aim is to help the child to do, in a
Bettmann • Nurturing the Respectful Community through Practical Life 65
more perfect and orderly manner, what he strives to do in
any case by his own natural impulses, but not so perfectly.
Our help consists of placing within the prepared environ-
ment “motives of activity” designed specially to answer
the needs of this “sensitive period” through which he is
passing. The child not only has an intense interest in these
“synthetic movements” but is endowed with a special ca-
pacity for fixing them, i.e., making them habitual, with an
ease and spontaneity which never recurs. (213-214)
The implications are these:
1. respect for the child’s capacity and abilities;
2. change in attitude about practical life as “early” work,
yet avoiding “dumbing down” (including advanced
exercises and a sequential progression from simple
to complex); and
3. understanding of the importance of independence
and its relation to self-esteem.
Through these exercises, the child has opportunities to
• Love the environment, become a steward of the planet
Earth. Strong connection means that there will be care
and concern. New health care facilities for hospice
care and mental health include large gardens for the
patients because studies have shown that nature is
healing and peaceful.
• Develop coordination of movement; direct the body
to perform actions with control, precisely and de-
liberately, as an expression of oneself and one’s
intelligence.
• Develop the will; have the self-control, patience, and
respect to act with consciousness of others. Being
responsible for one’s own actions includes coopera-
tion and consideration–a different view of self than
the perspective of “entitlement.”
66 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 40, No. 1 • Winter 2015
• Develop concentration; be so focused and engaged that
one is able to “lose oneself” in one’s work. The path
to normalization is through purposeful work.
• Complete a task; learn about a cycle of activity and
have a pattern so much in one’s repertoire that it
becomes a way of living to organize oneself with a
beginning, middle, and end; develop perseverance,
follow-through, and tenacity.
• Indirectly prepare for later academic work; mathemati-
cal concepts are explored, such as estimation and
calculation; geometric shapes are folded; writing
and reading are supported with the movements of
the hand (circular) as well as left-to-right and top-
to-bottom sequencing.
four areaS of Practical life
Care of Person and Care of Environment
Care of person and care of environment are both areas that help
the child grow in confidence as she tries the daily activities of her
own culture. The exercises themselves are individual. The materials
have a number of characteristics that are important principles to
keep in mind when gathering items for the Casa:
• differentiated through color-coding for independence
• physically proportionate to coordinate with the
child’s size
• psychologically challenging to offer the right level of
difficulty with a progression from simple to complex
• real to give dignity to the child’s efforts (ironing with
heat so wrinkles disappear, cutting with functional
scissors so paper doesn’t tear)
• culturally relevant to help the child adapt
• attractive to invite use (organic rather than synthetic)
Bettmann • Nurturing the Respectful Community through Practical Life 67
• limited and without duplicates so that the maxim
“less is more” is followed, offering more repetition
and mastery as well as the development of the will.
Rotation then becomes our responsibility to keep
the area alive.
• isolation of difficulty so that one is not overwhelmed and
can see with more clarity that which is necessary
For every material selected for the practical life area, the guide
has the responsibility to know it fluently, so that all movements
are analyzed. This implies grace, precision, exactness, consistency,
and order. The clarity that is the result of this practiced, rehearsed
set of movements allows the child to have a visual image directing
his efforts. He tries to emulate the adult, repeating, seeing his own
errors, and striving to reach the particular actions and movements
that lead to success (points of consciousness). The adult, of course,
has the wisdom to show just enough and then get out of the way, so
that the child can work to achieve his goal. The expectation is that
the child will make a number of mistakes prior to mastery. Whether
or not the adult needs to re-present at a later date, emphasizing one
of the points of consciousness, will be based on observation.
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68 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 40, No. 1 • Winter 2015
Grace and Courtesy
This area is a direct response to the sensitive period for social
relations, which is directing the child during the time she is in the
Children’s House. The exercises of grace and courtesy also are
a response to the sensitive periods for movement and language.
Montessori environments have often been criticized for being too
quiet or suppressed, and too stationary or static. The lively nature
of these exercises is sure to undo that myth or stereotype, as the
children are interactive in dramatic play while “performing” the
roles scripted for the grace and courtesy lessons.
Absence of Materials
These exercises are a bit more difficult because they usually do
not have specific, concrete materials, such as a sewing basket or a
dressing frame. One has to remember to show lessons that help the
children interact in new ways continuously, but it is easy to be guilty
of “out of sight, out of mind” forgetfulness, unless we record our
observations and are diligent in our lesson planning. At least one
exercise of grace and courtesy should be offered per day. A set of
cards for follow-up work may be the physical reminder that ensures
the inclusion of these important activities.
Grace and Courtesy Lessons
• Blowing one’s nose
• Covering one’s mouth
• Passing by a tight space
• Getting to the aisle
• Walking around a conversation
• Greeting by name
• Introducing oneself
• Introducing two friends
• Introducing an adult (using a title)
Bettmann • Nurturing the Respectful Community through Practical Life 69
• Opening a door for another
• Knocking before entering
• Offering help to a friend
• Offering a chair to a visitor
• Serving a guest
• Giving comfort to a friend
• Ordering food in a restaurant
• Passing a platter of food
• Choosing one item from a platter
• Using a napkin
• Excusing oneself from the table
• Giving and receiving a gift
• Answering the telephone
• Retrieving the person called
• Leaving a message on an answering machine
• Apologizing for calling the wrong number
Small Groups
The exercises require skill in gathering and directing a small
group of children in a role-play exercise and leaving them with in-
dependent work to practice. In a small group, the children can take
many turns with each part, and the guide can watch to see which
points of consciousness have been grasped. Were we to attempt to
take a shortcut and present to the entire class, we would be forgetting
about a few of the above-mentioned characteristics of our lessons.
We want everyone involved, which is unlikely if we are with the
whole group. Some will get bored waiting for their turn. Some will
70 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 40, No. 1 • Winter 2015
be bored because they already know this protocol. Repetition will
be limited. The group in general may wonder if this demonstration
is a result of their errors, and thus feel like they are being lectured,
corrected, or scolded.
Importance of Repetition
The mindset of the adult often requires a reminder that “practice
makes perfect” or repetition builds repertoire. We understand the
process of learning when we reflect on a child who is beginning to tie.
The bow frame is used many times, sometimes over months, before a
child can make beautiful bows on the frame, and then more practice
is needed before this new acquisition can be applied consistently
to one’s shoes. Sometimes we forget this when it comes to proper
behavior and manners. We find ourselves saying, “I just told you
to [fill in: chew with your mouth closed, not call across the room,
etc.].” The motto “practice what you preach” is partially correct in
that we do want to model all that we would expect the children to
do, so there is no double standard: “Do as I say, not as I do.” But we
want to present as our teaching method rather than preach.
Teach Teaching, Not Correcting
Or maybe we presume the skill before the presentation. It is
common for adults to test the child rather than teach the child.
I’d like to share a story with you that illustrates this point. After
many attempts by an adult to have a child use the word please
when requesting something, the adult thought of a way that she
imagined would be helpful
for the child to know what
Our children have the right to
was missing and therefore
how to fill in the blank. The experience the Casa as a sanctuary
adult said, “What’s the mag- where being in the present moment is
ic word?” The child smiled, the perfect blissful state, without the
finally realizing what the pressures, anxieties, or distractions
adult wanted, and happily of tomorrow. Process rather than
replied, “Abracadabra!” product allows the child to work
The three parts of learning for the sake of the intrinsic joy that
include the first introduc- one has when one’s focus is on the
tion, the ongoing necessary movement and order of the activity,
practice, and, finally, the rather than the end result.
spontaneous application.
Bettmann • Nurturing the Respectful Community through Practical Life 71
Another reminder for us is that other practical life exercises are
demonstrated with great analysis to the child who is “ready” and then
are available for independent choice. The lessons grow in complexity,
continuing throughout the three years in the Casa environment.
How can we make grace and courtesy lessons attractive so that
the child appreciates them?
• The timing is essential. If we can anticipate the need,
the child feels our thoughtfulness. He is grateful
for the lesson because he sees that he might have
use for it in the future. In The Secret of Childhood,
Dr. Montessori describes the sense of dignity oc-
casioned by a lesson on blowing one’s nose (126).
Another example would be knowing how to greet a
guest or visitor. If we observe a transgression or an
inappropriate interaction, we must make note of it
and wait for a neutral time to demonstrate a differ-
ent way. Nurturing the respectful community means
building trust, learning acts of kindness, helping love
grow. To nurture implies to assist and support, with
the expectation of time as one essential ingredient.
When one feels shame and embarrassment for doing
something wrong, one becomes defended and closed.
One is not open to learning at this time but instead
aware of the awkwardness or faux pas, resulting in
feeling inferior, inadequate, unsure, or uneasy.
• The small group is fun. Children enjoy pretending.
The drama may result in laughter. They are being
offered a way to interact in a social manner, rather
than always being segregated from each other to
work alone.
• The activity is short. Usually the lesson lasts five to
seven minutes. It spontaneously closes as the children
lose interest. It can be repeated again the next day,
with new children joining in.
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